Daily Inspiration: Meet Erynn Mitchell

Hi Erynn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Erynn Mitchell. Before currently attending the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (USC), I got my Bachelor’s in Visual and Performing Arts: Film Studies at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS). At USC I am pursuing a graduate degree in Film/Television Production with a focus on Film Directing and Acting.

I grew up in a Colorado suburb, in a lower middle-class Latin family. Art became my escape because I found myself playing violin, studying speech and debate, and working in theatre, to give myself time away from my restricting environment throughout my childhood. I compartmentalized so many feelings, and art became the means in which I could reconnect with myself. My journey with my films began on a date in middle school: I found myself in the back row of Skyfall, moved to tears at the opening title sequence. I vowed that I would make something comparably beautiful and since then, film has become a huge part of my life, both on screen and behind the camera.

Outside of classes in undergrad, I would make film after film with my group of friends, developing my own style of working. I would also find myself apprenticing regional theatre directors with the aim of getting better at my craft.

My latest project, The Death of Socrates, was shot on the 20th Century Fox sound stage and created in collaboration with some of the most talented artists I’ve ever worked with: Paul Eiding— known for his voice work on Transformers and Metal Gear Solid— plays Socrates. While Agustine Wells— a graduate of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, known on stage throughout California, New York, and LA— plays Crito of Alopece. My crew was made up of other talented artists in our film/tv production program at USC.

If I have learned anything from these collaborators in the cast and the crew; It’s that art is not about the individual, it’s about the community.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey moves in cycles. It has been characterized by chapters of struggle and strife, then balanced out by peace and calm. I have had a lot of struggles with competition— as every artist has. I had a long period in school where I was isolated and ostracized, by former collaborators, all scrambling for a perceived “number one” spot. One of my professors/mentors previously received a campus paper— that featured one of my films— slipped under his door, with a note over my feature that read “why her?”

As a Woman of Color, in art, competition is hard. Competition is an understandable response to the culture of the art world. However, I have learned how fruit that can be cultivated, can be shared.

I am currently in the midst of the most painful thing I have ever faced. Right before the filming of Socrates, I found out that my grandfather was diagnosed with ALS. According to the ALS Association, “ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.” It has no cure and is fatal. Currently, ALS researchers and caretakers are looking for support, and you can find ways to get involved by visiting the CDC’s ALS section on their websites. (https://www.cdc.gov/als/OrganizationsthatSupportPALS.html)

When we found out about his diagnosis, I had just begun my journey with USC. The overwhelming reality was that the best and worst things to ever occur in my life were happening at the same time. At times, I feel such a deep guilt to be here pursuing my ambitions, in art, while he is back in Colorado. Yet, at the same time, it’s because of my grandparent’s sacrifices and support that I am here, and they have asked me to stay to pursue these dreams for us. His condition is steadily progressing, and it has taught me so much about being present when you are with the people you love, doing what you love.

I feel a new perspective on time and I feel a deep responsibility when creating. My grandpa was a huge creative influence on me in my youth. He filled his retirement years with guitar, karaoke, photography, and airbrushing. He has now lost his ability to create in the way he once did and being able to share what he has inspired me to do while he is still here is something I will forever be grateful for. Art is about connection.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have previously been referred to as a “Renaissance Woman”. My work spans a wide range, on both stage and screen, including burlesque, acting, and directing. However, film is the number one relationship in my life. My work comes from a deep lifelong love of Old Hollywood. The glamour and the opulence on screen opened my eyes to the Power of Cinema. I create to express life through Grand-theatrical Escapism, not genres like recreation of old films or documentaries. Some of my favorite films are Martin Scorsese’s Casino and The Age of Innocence, as well as films like Amadeus, Rope, and All About Eve.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I took my own route to my own destination, and it’s been luck, but it’s also been a lot of hard work, paired with endless commitment. With determination, luck sort of comes on its own. One quote that always stuck with me was from Seneca, a Roman philosopher, who said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”